Dawn of YanSumos
by Shi-de-Bihu
Summary: Di-Gata Defenders - What happened before the final battle at the temple took place? The story focusses on the fights in Yintos which in the end also led to Lady K's doom, in the series a character with a lot of wasted potential!
1. Part I

Here's my new Di-Gata fic. It isn't that long, only three chapters, and it revolves around the first Ethos war we've seen a glimpse of in the episode "Back Track". However I focus more on the happenings before the final battle and what took place in Yintos.

As Lady K'Tahsh certainly needs more love (I still think her end in the season final was pathetic and wasted so much potential - it was simply too easy!) the first two chapters are written out of her p.o.v. About the third chapter: You'll see.

Updates will be every two days – hey, let me have a little fun with my cliff-hangers!

Enough talking, I hope you enjoy the story. Reviews are greatly appreciated, even if you think it's rubbish, tell me. I'm not insulted easily, and perhaps a flame will melt the damn snow outside! So, just leave me a line if you feel like it! I'd be happy!

Not to forget, our good old disclaimer:** I own nothing, not Di-Gata Defenders, not the characters.**

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**Dawn of Yan-Sumos Part I**

"If we don't act fast and with determination, the enemy will lay siege to the temple and threaten the very heart of our knowledge and power. Altamar has already suffered major damage, we have hundreds of fugitives to take care of, but for some incomprehensible reason the Ethos refrained from finishing their business there and concentrate their attention on Yantos now. I am not sure how long we can hold them off all by ourselves. Several of the defenders are busy in Altamor, and our wizard powers do not suffice."

The wizard's voice sounded so desperate his strain was unmistakable, even through the interfering noises of the screen because of the bad connection to Yantos. To their astonishment the circle had sent them a rather young wizard as a messenger, and the man was quite nervous, wringing his hands restlessly. From time to time he brushed through his short, brown hair and the green eyes were darting from one council member to the other, only to seek warlord Cyla's face again. The conference with him had already taken a whole hour, and everyone felt the exertion.

However the only thing which had become clear by now was, that the war against the Ethos had made a turn for the worse. More so than they had ever imagined. A mistake they might pay dearly for if things did not change soon.

But no matter how urgent his words seemed, how heart-wrenching his begging sounded and not even the distraught look on his face could made them decide at once. Naturally it was essential to work quickly and not waste precious time, yet the thin line between quick and hasty was easily crossed, and a single rushed order could have devastating consequences for both them and the wizards. As it would affect the overall course the battles were about to take. It set the difference between victory and defeat, which in this case meant between the realm's ultimate destruction and the overcome of their greatest foe.

As a consequence everyone in the room had fallen silent. All participants of the war council were aware of how grave the situation actually was; nonetheless the wizard's report struck them to the core. The wizards of Yan were their allies and they had vowed to fight alongside each other whenever needed. Now was such a time, and they would have immediately assisted, had their own problems not been equally large.

Warlord Cyla's gaze shifted to the window and over the rooftops of the small houses of Yintos' capital. All responsibility rested on her shoulders, although she had the council to back her up. In the end she would always be the one who took the gratitude for their achievements, or the blame for a possible failure. Not that there would be people left to blame anyone. She simply could not afford any flaws in her strategy, and meanwhile she had to feel the pressure the alliance had laid on her frighteningly strong. So strong it already showed on her outside.

Before Cyla turned back to the wizard, she scanned the rest of the council members' expressions, and their eyes met. Torash knew what her mother was thinking and she nodded barely visible as a wordless agreement. Then she had a look at the others herself. All of them had an air of sincerity and determination around them, as they were ready for the inevitable battle. The only question left was where this battle would take place: In Yantos, or right here at their very doorstep.

Cyla's voice was diplomatic when she finally addressed the wizards' ambassador again: "We are well aware of how much is at stake, and we promise to send help as soon as possible. Unfortunately our own situation is not an easy one, either. As Yintos lies on the outskirts of the great war, our frontiers did not stop the Ethos from invading our land. And they do not show mercy towards our people. We cannot spare our complete army until we have secured our own homes. The council will continue the meeting to discuss and decide how many soldiers we can afford to send to your aid. I will let you know, the instant the decision is made."

She nodded respectfully and the wizard swallowed, but the mask upon his face did not slip. On the contrary, he looked even more composed.

"I will deliver your words to the circle and to Alnar himself. We're waiting for your final decision", he answered, his voice suddenly strapped of all emotions. With a slight bow he thanked them for their time before breaking the connection. The big screen in the conference chamber went dark and slowly, one after the other, the commanders' voices rose. First they were only whispering with their neighbours, then they grew louder and louder.

The warlord's brows furrowed at this lack of restraint and Torash waited patiently for her outburst. The two women and her father next to her were the only ones who had remained silent even after the transmission had ended. Nevertheless she shot an angry and scolding glance in Brackus' and Doku's direction. As two of the higher ranked commanders of the army she had expected them to show more self-control, yet they were bickering as noisily as everyone else.

"Silence!", Cyla finally demanded in her strong voice. She might be a woman, but her confident appearance and her stern and strong character made her as respectful as every man in this chamber. And a lot of people in Yintos insisted that Torash had inherited her hot-tempered nature, and she guessed they were right to a certain extent. When it came to duty she did not tolerate misbehaviour, and she could stand her ground against anyone.

The warlord's command instantly made everyone in the chamber turn and they fell silent, but some of the participants still were a little distracted after the day's discussions. Those had already consumed the whole morning, until the wizards' message had interrupted them. Altogether this meant they all had been working for more than five hours straight without the glimpse of a break.

Cyla probably would have ignored it, had Torash's father not whispered something seemingly urgent into her ear. At that she hesitated a second to squint at her subordinates, and with a hardly audible sigh she announced: "We will have a short break. I ask you to meet back here in exactly half an hour to continue. By then I expect everyone to have made up his or her mind about the current issues. Apart from that you are free to do as you like. Those who are not back in time will be ignored for the decision and assigned their tasks subsequently."

Simultaneous nodding answered her; especially the last threat ensured their accuracy. Nobody wished to get his task chosen for him without participating in the decision, as Cyla was known to assign those, in her opinion irresponsible members, to the most uncomfortable tasks.

Torash took the chance to straighten her stiff back and legs, before she got to her feet to get some fresh air. A whole afternoon of dry military strategies was waiting for her. This was possibly the last time for hours she could get outside.

With usually light steps she crossed the hall and slipped through the metal door which led out onto the balcony of the residence. Soft, cool wind was blowing across town and her brown hair waved lightly in the breeze. She walked over to the edge and looked down on the town which stretched out in front of her eyes. Once again she stretched her limbs. Although she did not mind the long conferences, as she knew how important they were, she preferred active work a lot more.

The capital of Yintos lay on a small hill on the otherwise flat, stony plains of the province, and the atmosphere down in the streets was calm, yet the city was deserted, even on a beautiful day like this. Most citizens did not dare come out any longer, and unfortunately they had all reason to be afraid and careful. Still it was a shame because this might well be the last day to enjoy regarding the wave of destruction which might sweep over them soon.

To describe the province as a pretty place required a lot of idealizing affection, but this had been the home of her and her family for ages, and she loved the unyielding and hard land with all her heart. The thought, that right at this moment those disgusting, insubstantial wraiths were stalking her beloved homeland made her blood heat up and her heart go cold.

"Is there a reason you ran off so quickly?", a familiar voice behind her asked.

She did not even bother to turn around, while a tiny smile moved her lips: "I needed to get away from you squabbling children. Looks like you'll catch up wherever I go though."

His heavy steps pounded on the tiles of the balcony and not for the first time she wondered why most men were incapable to move swift and lightly at the same time. She had always known women were the better assassins.

In the end, Brackus leaned on the balcony's edge next to her and followed her gaze with his own. Despite the serious situation he was relaxed on the outside, and she could not recall a single day he and Doku had not disagreed on something. Comfortably she leaned against his shoulder and said: "The war won't take much time until it's here. The wizards don't understand this. It's unreasonable to expect us to leave Yintos without defences, simply to rush to their assistance."

"Your father certainly doesn't think so", he commented in his normal, matter-of-fact voice, his sharp eyes resting on the town. Meanwhile she observed him thoroughly. She knew that he did not support the wizards above the ordinary alliance, but he seemed unusually thoughtful today. Instantly she wondered what his opinion of the subject was, and what side he would take when it came to a decision. Given that she was not a fool, she knew not to assume he would take her side just for their love's sake. Neither of them was so shallow.

After a second of awkward silence she began quietly: "Of course, my father wants to set out towards Yantos rather yesterday than today, but he knows his place and his responsibilities. We're Yintos, and this land is what counts the most. I don't blame him for wishing to assist his former companions, yet he's not a defender any longer. He ceased to be when he joined the army – you can only be one kind of fighter, but never both at the same time."

Brackus smiled at these words. It was the smile she adored so much. It did not happen very often that either of them showed their feelings so openly, especially not while they were with the army. Only on their own did it happen occasionally. Eventually he remarked dryly: "You're talking as though you despised the wizards and the defenders!"

"No, you must have me mixed up with yourself."

He winced almost invisibly. Someone who knew him less well would not have noticed it, but Torash did. She always knew when she hit a certain spot he did not enjoy talking about. His attitude towards the defenders was one of them.

Casually she continued: "I do not _despise _them. They're not that bad. It's just that their ways are so different from ours that we'll never truly understand one another."

"They're weak, and I'm not surprised that they can't handle a war", Brackus said honestly and she crossed her arms.

"That's your way to put it."

"And just because you don't say it out loud, it doesn't mean you don't think so, too."

She looked at him with big, doubtful eyes: "Are you hinting I'd have the same opinion as you? Don't be ridiculous!" Laughing a little she elbowed him friendly. In comparison to him she had never allowed herself to think about their allies this way. After all she was to be Yintos warlord one day when her mother finally resigned, and the province needed a diplomatic leader if they did not want to slowly cast themselves in isolation due to their location on the margins of the inhabitable realm. Consequently her own view was not asked for, as long as she did what was best for her people. And over time she had come to the conclusion that what she thought did not concern most people anyway. Her believes were a personal thing she did not share with many others, let alone strangers. So she would not judge the wizards and the rest of their organisation unless they failed their duties, and she had never heard of that. Decency was a lesson Brackus had not yet learned, and she doubted he ever would.

Just then she saw that he had turned his face away from her after her last words had fallen. "Don't tell me you're sulking!"

"Now you're being ridiculous."

"That's good, because there's a serious battle ahead and we'll need you." She knew how much he loved to be told he was important, and as the first trace of self-satisfaction started to manifest in his expression she slapped him in the back of his head. Genuinely surprised he turned to her: "What was that for?"

"Daydreaming. We'll need everyone we can muster, but you have to be prepared. There's going to be enough time to bathe in glory after we're done – after we've won, to be exact." She spoke in the authoritarian manner she continuously used when giving orders or making announcements. The skilled commander, which Brackus undeniably was, understood the meaning of this change at once.

His smile faded to be replaced by an insensitive, professional mask. Yet his voice still bore emotion: "You know I'll be ready when it's time. You can always count on me, Torash. I would never betray you."

She had started to leave the balcony already, but now she hesitated and looked back at him over her shoulder with tender eyes. This promise meant more to her that he realized. Her love gave her the strength to be more than the assassin she had been taught to be, and at times she was incredibly thankful for his affection. A faint smile played across her lips: "I know, Brackus."

Suddenly a deafening bang not far away startled them and she whirled around to glimpse at the town. One of the houses near the residence stood in flames, and she could easily make out floating, black-purple shapes. "Ethos", she hissed with clenched teeth. Right at this moment the alarum bells sounded clear and strong through the building.

Brackus had also looked up and she saw him automatically reaching for his stones inside his uniform's pocket. "Looks like the conference will be cancelled for today."

She nodded and strode to the door. There was only one thing to do: Get her weapons and get rid of the unwelcome guests.


	2. Part II

Here we go again! Second part is up, I hope you enjoy the story so far! (thanks to SeaSpectre160, glad you like it!)

Don't ask me what exactly the Sepulcur of Infinis is. I have no idea, but the back-story mentioned it. I imagine it to be some kind of sacred place or artefact of the Yintosians. Well, it's obviously important to them. Anyone knows something more specific, let me know.

Disclaimer:** I don't own Di-Gata Defenders or the characters. Really not.**

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**Dawn of Yan-Sumos Part II**

Urgent footsteps were echoing through the hallways and the tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. But there was no sign of panic and Torash was content about that. War was nothing new to them, no matter how unusual their opponents were. Everyone was simply rushing to their duty and to gather in the conference chamber. There they would await warlord Cyla's orders.

Torash herself barely took in the people around her. She knew which way to go and followed this invisible path with quick, determined steps. Nobody dared stand in her way, as she most likely wore the serene look on her face which made even the toughest commanders back away from her. The glare that some said was as deadly as a weapon.

While everyone else hurried to the chamber, she turned three hallways earlier and headed towards the armoury. In a swift, customary movement she brushed her right hand over the sigil scanner and with a beep the door slid aside. Only the high warlords, consisting solely of her parents and herself, had access to this room, and for good reasons. The amount of lethal weapons in here would have been too much of a temptation for opportunists in their ranks, and the last thing they needed were traitors and possible usurpers. There was no necessity to encourage such a development.

Rapidly she took one of the guns and slung it over her shoulder before reaching for her most prized possession: Her double swords. Each of them went into a sling on either side of her belt and, as fast as she had come, she left the armoury again. Now she was ready for anything that awaited her outside. The familiar weight on her hips made her feel a lot more comfortable than the gun and the stones in her pocket ever could. She had not been trained to be an assassin without consequences. Her profession would always mark her habits.

#

The conference chamber was crowded and warlord Cyla was already busy giving orders.

"We need to prevent the Ethos from reaching the residence. The technology down in the vault is too valuable to give it up to the enemy, and above that it is our duty to secure the Sepulcur of Infinis. We will spread out in a circle through the streets and drive them back. Whatever happens, make sure no enemy slips through the ring. Before they break through, fall back and regroup. And do not underestimate them."

She spotted Torash and waved her over. "Torash, you will take your team towards the South-West quarters. I will cover the South-East, Darren the East. Doku, I want you and your men to take care of the Northern part of town, Brackus will cover the West." Routinely she decided on the teams and immediately they left the residence.

The South-Western region of the city was marked by high houses and narrow streets. Most of the day it was dark down here, no matter how sunny the weather, but this part of town did not offer a lot of hiding places, either. At that it could easily be surveilled from above. Torash guessed this had also been the criteria she and her team had been chosen for this region. Fast and silently they climbed up on the flat rooftops of the stone houses.

"Check the side streets; give a sign upon any finding. I take the main road." She watched her men fan out and quickly turned to her own spot. The paved street was about eight metres below her and deadly quiet. She spied into the shadow, but nothing moved. Nevertheless she took the gun from its string as she slowly ventured further, so that she would not miss the smallest trace.

Her eyes wandered over the flat walls and the jarred windows. At least the Ethos had no possibility to hide inside without anyone noticing it. But this barely made the hunt easier. It was not the first time she fought them. Two weeks ago she had accompanied her mother when they had beaten them back on the frontier, where they tried to take control of the remaining fortresses of the barrier. The victory had not been easy, but sweet nonetheless. To her dismay the Ethos had crossed over further south just a few days later, and when they had arrived there it had been too late. She did not intend to let them get away once more.

Another explosion echoed over the town and she could see the flames in the corner of her eye. The fight had begun, but not in her part of the city. So she simply ignored it. Cyla was well capable to handle the situation.

She pressed a button on the communicator she was carrying and ordered: "Keep your eyes open. The attack might be a diversion to slip through on our side. Don't let yourselves be distracted!"

Suddenly she saw something move in the shade and within a second she aimed. The zooming lens of the gun allowed her to have a clearer look, and she got a glimpse of tentacles sliding around the corner. As fast as possible she jumped onto the next building and from the roof down onto the balcony, her sight darting in all directions. The wraith had to be around here somewhere.

With her back to the wall to avoid any unpleasant surprises, she landed on the street and looked around. It was darker down here than she had expected, and she knew the Ethos would try to use the circumstances to its advantage. A slight breeze as it moved gave its position away.

She brought the gun up and shot at the wraith that was hiding in the darkness. It tried to evade the shot, but was too slow. The blue energy ball hit it full front and with a high-pitched scream it turned to dust. Torash lowered the gun and stared at the remnants of the wraith, blackened ash on the wall. They were not bodily as they were, but she could not tell if they were just spirits and the traces were those of the shot itself, or if they were a mixture and this was what was left of it. One needed to know what one was fighting against to do it successfully, however she doubted she would like the answer to the question.

The second Ethos had probably deemed her unfocussed on anything but his dead brethren, and the attack came quickly. Yet she had not spent so much time training to let herself be tricked by such a simple scheme. She whirled around and threw the gun at the Ethos, thereby breaking its concentration on the spell. The orb of purple light died down and in the matter of a heartbeat she had crossed the distance, blades drawn. One hacked of several tentacles with a singles stroke while the other was thrust right through its chest. Then it turned to dust.

"Lady Torash!" Her communicator blared out of the blue. Without losing her focus she asked: "What is it?"

"There are too many of them in the streets. We're losing track of things here. Under the current circumstances we won't be able to prevent all of them from passing!"

She scanned her surroundings and cursed under her breath. The soldier was right. Now that they had lured them down into the streets their view was greatly limited, and the Ethos a lot harder to make out. However, near the residence in the centre of town the numerous streets united into two big ones which crossed in one point. One, that was much easier to defend.

"Order to everyone: Pull back to the cross of Asca-Yin. There we will hold them off." Equally swiftly than before, she climbed back up on the balcony and from there onto the roof. Then she rushed to the meeting point. At the same time she altered her communicator's frequency to reach the other party: "Warlord Cyla, we're retracting to the cross of Asca-Yin. The fight in the streets is only to the Ethos' advantage."

"Information received", Cyla's voice came a second later. "Darren's and my party will join you there shortly." Then she obviously switched to the main frequency: "All parties draw back to the inner circle and group around the cross of Asca-Yin and the cross of Anma-Yin respectively."

About one minute had passed when Torash reached the cross and a quarter of her team was already assembled, stationed near the walls and their weapons ready – aiming at the shadows of the narrow streets around them. She came down well in sight as not to startle anybody, before she joined them and took out her stones.

"Where are the others?", she inquired curiously and the soldier next to her swallowed hard: "Gone."

Angrily she bit her lip. The order had been to report any encounter with the Ethos, and she had not received a single message apart from the final call. Sometimes the army's courage was a pain, especially after Cyla had reminded them not to underestimate the Ethos. Obviously they had done so nonetheless. This was turning out to be a disaster.

Just then did she make out the floating shapes that were coming closer. "Everyone on alert! Shoot at everything that moves over there!"

Rays of blue sigil energy raced over the place and into the narrow streets, most of which were met with purple light. Torash could see two or three of the Ethos vanishing after being hit, but the rest avoided or countered their attacks with worrying ease. They might be able to hold them back for a while, yet they could not do any real damage to their opponents, and if they did not get out of their defensive situation soon, they had no chance of winning this fight in the long run.

At least Cyla's troupes did not take long to arrive at the cross as well, however not the way she would have liked it. If Torash had not worn her emotional mask she set up in battle, her face would have most likely dropped. The warlord's party was even more decimated than her own. Consequently her announcement did not surprise her much: "We're retreating inside the walls of the residence. According to Darren they broke through in the East. The cross of Anma-Yin won't hold much longer, either. So, everyone inside the building, lock the gates and windows except for the embrasures!"

One last wave of energy balls was shot at the approaching Ethos before they turned on their heels and hurried inside. Torash did not like the way things were developing, and she despised running from their foes even more, but if they had truly broken through on her father's side of town, there was no other way to handle the situation.

Together with Cyla and a few soldiers she closed the heavy gates behind them and locked it tightly. The walls were sigil-hardened, it would take them quite an effort to break through here.

It was a weird feeling after the noisy battle to find oneself in the calm of the residence again. For the first time since the battle had begun the soldiers allowed themselves to breathe deeply before taking their posts at the embrasures. She, Cyla and her father who had finally caught up with them did not join them, but observed the situation outside.

The Ethos had not hesitated to come after them, and the pounding on the door and walls were a clear sign that they were trying to breach their defences. Usually these walls would stop every possible attacker, but the Ethos were not ordinary, and the gates would not hold forever. For some reason they drained the surroundings' energy while attacking, and this would soon weaken the walls and gates significantly. To their misfortune they were not stupid enough to come too close so that the soldiers would get a good shot. Under these conditions they would certainly lose, and she had no idea what to do about it.

Expectantly she looked at her mother, who seemed similarly lost concerning what to do. Eventually she began, her words directed only at her and her father: "If Doku and Brackus tell the truth - and why should we doubt it? – were encircled in here. They've got us where they wanted us. There is no way we can prevent them from laying waste to the whole city!"

"But what about the Sepulcur? We cannot simply give it up!", her father mentioned and got a glare from Cyla. Of course the warlord had thought of that, but she was out of ideas, and the only thing she wanted right now were new ones, she did not need to be reminded of her responsibilities.

Heatedly she responded: "I know that! If everything goes down we can force the vault to collapse so the Ethos won't be able to reach it, but if we do that we will block our only path to escape. The emergency tunnels begin down there. If we're lucky we can bring the ceiling down from inside, but it might smash those who do, and afterwards the tunnels will be sealed. Doing it from here will secure that it works, but sacrifice ourselves."

"We cannot simply sacrifice ourselves", Torash cut in and they turned to her. "This war may be lost, but the wizards are still hoping for assistance at the temple of Yan-Sumos. Judging by the wizard's words there's hope there – you know that they are working on some kind of ultimate weapon. They are counting on us, and whatever we do, we have to ensure that we get out of here and join them. United we will have a chance."

"And our oath to protect Yintos?", Darren continued.

"It would be best if what's left of the army would set out to Yantos to help the wizards, while a few stay back to ensure the Sepulcur will be secured", Doku's voice sounded from the back of the hall. He, Brackus and the small number of soldiers that was left had arrived together. Cyla considered his words and nodded. She obviously was far from happy or even content, but this was not a game, and if the overall victory demanded this loss she would accept it.

As the pounding on the gate grew louder she ordered the remaining soldiers to the escape tunnels and they followed close behind. It was a short, quiet way, everyone was dealing with their own thoughts and failure. The Yintos army was not used to lose, and giving up was not part of their nature, either. But this time consciousness was more important than their pride and hurt feelings.

The vault was dark and dusty as always, and the pounding above sounded hollow in the eerie silence that hung over the place. When the door to the tunnels opened without complications, the tension eased a little bit. After all their bad luck at least this plan would work.

Torash knew that there was no way her parents would leave the residence without knowing for sure that everything went well. They would take the duty to seal the vault from the inside while they would escape. But she knew what to do. The underground tunnels led to the frontier, and from there it would not be difficult to avoid the Ethos and join the wizards and defenders at Yan-Sumos. Anyone who was not completely dumb could have pulled this strategy off.

When the soldiers had disappeared in the tunnel, Cyla looked at them and said: "Darren and I will stay here and protect the place as long as we can." Another loud pounding could be heard from upstairs. "Which might not be long. Torash, you will lead them to Yantos and…"

"Really, we don't want to break this lovely family apart. The captain always goes down with his ship, and shouldn't the leaders of Yintos stay behind as well?", Doku suddenly asked and they turned to him bewildered. He and Brackus were already standing inside the tunnel, and Doku had his stones drawn. The only ones not inside were Torash and her parents. "We will take care of the army in your place, Lady Torash. I believe there is no royal blood necessary to be a Yintos warlord."

There was no time to stop him and she knew it, which was the only reason why she did not jump at him right away. She only had the time to lock eyes with Brackus, who guiltily looked away, however she could see that there was no true regret in his eyes. Then Doku's cast crashed against the ceiling, sealing off the escape tunnels, but it was not strong enough to make the whole vault collapse. The reason why they had stayed back – or why her parents had intended to stay back.

Had someone asked her what she felt in this moment she could not have answered. She was not sad or desperate. Her own destruction was something she had come to terms with. Working in the army was dangerous, and one could always meet one's end unpredictedly. Only one word whirled over and over through her mind: _Traitors_. Evidently no matter how much one tried to prevent their rise, opportunists always found a way to the top. And the worst ones were those closest to you.

'_I would never betray you_.' How empty had this promise been? How cold was this man's heart to desert her like this? Brackus and Doku had never agreed on anything but her sacrifice apparently. Little by little fury grew inside of her, and her hands tightened around the hilts of her swords so strongly her knuckles turned white. Staring at the former tunnel entrance with a death glare she hissed through clenched teeth: "You will regret this one day, Brackus, I swear!"

Her parents had not said a single word, but regarded her as though she was no less perilous than the Ethos which were still banging against the gate. She had never before given orders to them, but now she declared in an ice-cold voice: "Seal the vault shut. I will take care of our guests. They should have better chosen another day to face my anger!"

Although hardly possible her grip around her swords hardened as she climbed the stairs, not looking back at what her parents did or did not do. If she could not reach the ones she would have desired to destroy, the Ethos would pay dearly for revealing a truth she had never wanted to see. And a lost battle did not mean she could not take down with her as many of them as possible.


	3. Part III

Final part is up! It' a little shorter than the others, but that's because it's the end. Hope you don't mind the open ending; I tried to slip in some hints to later events in the series though. Have fun looking for them and as always: Enjoy reading!

Reviews are greatly appreciated! By the way: Nice Christmas holidays to everyone!

Disclaimer: **I don't own Di-Gata Defenders or the characters, not even the story background, just the details. **Sad, isn't it? ;-)

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**Dawn of Yan-Sumos Part III**

One week after the battle of Yan-Sumos, city of Altamar:

The wizards and the defenders were still busy hiding away the separated parts of the Celestial Abyss, a truly magnificent weapon although flawed. It was worth keeping its existence in the back of his mind. One never knew when this knowledge would prove useful. There might be a day when the Celestial Abyss was needed again, and he abhorred relying on anyone but himself if it came to fight a war.

He watched the blue-clad people scurry around the city, for some reason not helping to rebuild it, but standing constantly in the way of those who did. Himself he had at least shown the respect to find a place away from the main work, on one of the higher terraces of a devastated temple. Now that he could do so without being frowned upon he enjoyed gazing down on the wizards. As smart as they always appeared to be, sometimes he doubted their intelligence, especially after the pitiful way he had watched them handle the battle. Without him and the Yintos army they would have lost pathetically, and all they had received for their troubles had been a trivial "Thank you".

That was the moment he remembered why he hated the wizards so much. The sooner they set out back to Yintos the better. After all, the capital still lay in ruins and lacked a leader. He intended to take control of this position promptly when he returned. Just as he had taken control of the army.

"Bathing in undeserved glory, Brackus?"

Growling he looked over his shoulder at Doku, the only hindrance left in his plan to gain the supreme rule of all of Yintos. He did not know yet how he would get rid of him eventually, but for now he did not need to fear him. It was an open secret that he would use the first chance he got to usurp him; however Doku could not afford to lose the fragile trust of the army. After the immense losses in the war, the men were yearning for a strong, stable leadership. Pulling of some sort of ruse at this point, in the middle of the rebuilding, did not demonstrate much wit. Something which suited Doku though, nevertheless he doubted anyone could be that dumb.

Finally he asked condescendingly: "What is it you want? I don't remember you pulling the trigger of the Celestial Abyss and saving us all."

Doku's weird blue eyes flashed angrily and he laughed: "Brackus, everyone could have done what you did. You just were in the right place at the right time. If it weren't for me and my plan you would have never seen the Celestial Abyss in the first place. It was my strategy that got us out of Yintos as leading warlords."

"You mean, me as the leading warlord. You're just another commander in my army, and the men will never regard you as anything else." Calmly he turned his gaze back to the town and the soldiers who had gathered on the former marketplace. The sudden disappearance of the whole royal family, Yintos' leading class, hit them hard, and with the traditional structure gone a change started to show in their attitude. At the moment they would follow anyone who proved to be best for Yintos and who was able to restore its lost pride. Yet Brackus' connection to the deceased royal family still ensured they turned to him instead of Doku. A thing the latter was unable to change.

Probably he was clenching his fists behind Brackus' back right now and muttering curses to himself, but he was invincible.

In the end he announced, filled with spite: "Fine then, keep going like that. Your own arrogance and self-absorption are going to break you neck one day. Do you think the wizards are unaware that you do not truly support their ideals? And how will you prove your worth on the long run? I gained a position I could only dream of before, but you brought your own doom by tagging along!"

At this he whirled around and stared Doku down. He loathed that wretched coward even more than the wizards, because he did only talk, but not act on his own. During the course of the battle of Yan-Sumos, Brackus had not missed how he had tried to get on wizard Nazmul's good side, and obviously it had worked. Yet without strong back-up he was completely unsuited to rule a province like Yintos, let alone something greater as he himself aspired to.

To approach him for "tagging along" was an insult he would as a result not simply take. He had not made the decision to betray Torash thoughtlessly. It had been a lot harder than Doku guessed, and the only reason he had agreed to his scheme had been the glorious prospect it offered him. As much as it hurt him to sacrifice his beloved, his desire to achieve more than simply being a Yintos warlord had exceeded all affection and emotion.

Torash had been an amazing woman, but she lacked the ambition he had, her sense of duty and responsibility was too strong. She did what was necessary to secure the higher goal, a goal that usually was Yintos, but never herself. With her on his side, he would have ruled securely, yet she would have never allowed him to pursue his own dreams. Because he knew he could not have everything he longed for.

He had set priorities, and now pushed the reflection of his betrayal and the memory of Torash's last fiery glare as far away from his thoughts as possible. In a place where he did not have to cope with them. He knew that all of it might come back one day to bite him, but it was best never to consider this options or carefully analyse his feelings. The deed could not be undone, and denying it had ever happened let him at least focus on the important things for now. Namely Doku.

"Do you think you will win any loyalties by cowering behind that wizard? I say it again: You're just a minor commander, and you will never become more than this", he told Doku who grinned still. Visibly Brackus' words did not touch him at all.

His response was also fitting his manners: "I may be nothing but a minor commander, but you, Brackus, are nothing at all. Not without Torash by your side. The Lady of Yintos made you everything you ever were, and without her power and wit you will turn Yintos into something it's not supposed to be. Without her guidance you'll shame her reminiscence, and it won't take forever until others will see that, too. I will become warlord, and the wizards will help me, while you're all on your own. I predict you, you'll fail."

Satisfied to have made his speech, in Brackus' eyes a senseless one, Doku turned and began to descend the stairwell towards the marketplace. After only a few steps however he stopped once again and looked back at him viciously: "Oh, I almost forgot! With the new empire you seek to build under your rule, you sure have a legacy already. Or didn't you thing about that tiny problem, either, when you got rid of Torash?"

He did not wait for an answer, which he did not expect anyway and for good reason, and continued his way downwards. Meanwhile Brackus watched him with an irritated glare. Undeniably he had a point there and his legacy was an issue he had no solution to yet. But he did not intend to need a legacy soon. There would time enough to find one, even without Torash.

Rather optimistic he assumed that the solution would eventually jump right into his face as the course of things went on. There was no obstacle he could not conquer, if necessary with brute force. His conscience would remain buried, and at the moment there was no one to really stand in his way apart from Doku and his pitiful wizard friends. He would find a way to deal with them. After all he was the one who had escaped the siege of Yintos and the hero of the battle of Yan-Sumos. And who would disrespect the only surviving Yintos hero?

#

It was a contemptible sight. First the temple burnt by the battle, then Altamar almost brought to the foundations. And who was standing in the centre of the destruction as the great victors? The wizards, defenders and worst of all two traitorous Yintos warlords, pretending to be the saviours of the realm.

A sigh escaped her lips while she stalked the streets of Altamar, taking a look at what her brethren had achieved. They were incredibly strong, but equally unworldly. It was not time for the Ethos' rule over RaDos yet and they had learnt that lesson the hard way. Lady K'Tahsh did not care. She had all time in the world to wait and watch – and act.

Unnaturally easily she climbed up on the highest house that was left to look towards the marketplace. Her sharp eyes could make out the little, running figures of the people she used to know so well, she used to think of as her allies, but who now deemed her destroyed "heroically defending the Sepulcur".

She groaned at the thought of Brackus' horrific story. What a theatrical idiocy, which they of course believed. Well, perhaps it was best this way. Torash was gone, maybe there was something left of her but the anger and hatred she felt. However she doubted that the person she once was would ever emerge back to the surface, as there was no one left who had known her well enough, and who cared.

Observing the busy figures in the distance she bind her long, now snow-white, hair back and lovingly caressed the edge of the with Ethos magic red-glowing blades. Down there were all these traitors and hypocrites who had sacrificed her for their own good. Now they even took everything that should have belonged to her, just to ruin it with their carelessness. They would pay for wrecking all she had fought for, above all her life, and for standing in the way of those she was part of now.

One after the other they would face the deadly, dark Lady. Wizards and defenders alike. With Brackus she would take her time. Vengeance was sweet, and his punishment should be appropriate and well-considered. Though her emotions were gone, she would have destroyed him too fast in her current fury. She would be patient, so that she would enjoy the moment when it finally came. He had not known any regrets, and she was sure she would not either.


End file.
